Info about Desktop Dungeons:

Official game description:
REMASTER OUT NOW!
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About the Game
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FREE GAME UPDATE! Desktop Dungeons: Enhanced Edition. More ways to die horribly in 10 minutes or less. The award winning quick-play puzzle roguelike is now packed with new content, 2 new classes and a new way to play: Compete against your friends in the seeded Daily Dungeon!  
*   The perfect coffee-break game for genius tacticians and chilled clickers alike:  
*   Fight your way through fantasy dungeons in 10 minutes or less. We’re busy people too.  
*   Prize-winning game design awesomeness (13th Annual IGF Awards)  
*   Classic roguelike play re-imagined as a unique single-screen puzzle game sort of thing! Reviewers have a hard time with genres.  
*   Explore unrevealed terrain to regain health and mana. Game hook!  
*   6 hours of gameplay? Try 6 billion... You can (and will) play Desktop Dungeons for the rest of your life.  
*   Randomly generated dungeons are different every time you play. Build your Kingdom to unlock hordes of new classes, races and challenges.  
*   Daily Dungeon allows you to compete against your Steam friends!  
*   Amazing soundtrack by the improbably astounding team of Danny Baranowsky and Grant Kirkhope.

Release date: 18 Apr, 2023

Categories: Roguelike, Puzzle Solving, Turn-based Strategy, Resource Management, Character Progression, Base Building, Competitive Multiplayer, Meta-Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Deep, Addictive, and Replayable Gameplay (weight 0.99): Players consistently praise the game's unique blend of roguelike, puzzle, and strategy elements, highlighting its depth, replayability, and engaging content. The game offers a challenging yet rewarding experience, suitable for both short sessions and extended play, with a charming aesthetic and well-designed mechanics.

Common complaints:
- Overwhelming and Unfair Difficulty (weight 0.55): Players consistently report that the game's difficulty is excessively high and often feels unfair, stemming from a combination of steep learning curves, unforgiving RNG, and a lack of clear progression or power-ups. This leads to frustration, repetitive grinding, and a feeling of being stuck or unable to progress, especially in mid-to-late game dungeons and against bosses.
- Poor Explanations and Language Barrier (weight 0.38): The game's explanations and tutorials are often insufficient, making it hard for new players to understand mechanics. Additionally, the use of complex English vocabulary in flavor text and general game information creates a language barrier for non-native speakers and slows down gameplay for everyone.
- Missing Quality-of-Life Features (weight 0.06): The game lacks essential quality-of-life features such as cloud save functionality, leading to lost progress. There are also reports of problematic window sizing, missing language support (e.g., Russian), and a general lack of plot or meaningful player decisions.
- Clunky and Unintuitive UI (weight 0.03): The user interface is frequently described as clunky, unintuitive, and prone to accidental touches, particularly on mobile. Hidden descriptive text and a generally cheap feel contribute to a frustrating user experience.
- Negative Visual and Performance Changes (weight 0.02): Recent updates, specifically the 'Rewind' version, have introduced performance issues like lag and reduced readability. Additionally, a change from pixel-tile to cartoonish graphics has been negatively received by some players.
- Unengaging Humor and Text (weight 0.02): The game's humor is generally not well-received, often feeling forced or flat. Reviewers also note a poor balance between the simple puzzle gameplay and overly verbose, medieval RPG-style flavor text, which can detract from the experience.
- Unimpactful Town Progression (weight 0.01): The town UI's buildings lack visual distinctiveness, and the meta-progression system for upgrading the town feels slow to provide a noticeable impact on gameplay, diminishing the sense of long-term reward.
- Rune System and Class Balance Issues (weight 0.01): The conversion system for extra runes can lead to the loss of crucial runes, and certain classes, like the Monk, become extremely difficult to play without specific rune drops, impacting build viability.

Gameplay feedback:
- Strategic Puzzle Roguelike Gameplay (weight 0.6): The game is primarily a turn-based puzzle game with strong roguelike and RPG elements. It emphasizes strategic thinking, resource management, and careful planning over luck, with deterministic combat and short, self-contained dungeon runs. Players must optimize their actions to defeat bosses and manage limited resources like health and mana, which are often recovered by exploring new tiles.
- Deep Progression & Customization (weight 0.33): The game offers significant replayability and progression through a wide variety of unlockable races, classes, items, and gods. Players develop a kingdom outside of dungeons, using earned gold to unlock new content and customize their gameplay experience, which in turn influences dungeon strategies and challenges.

Performance notes:
- Excellent Linux compatibility (weight 0.04): The game demonstrates strong technical performance on Linux, with users reporting stable frame rates and low resource demands. Achievements are also obtainable, though a specific Proton version is required.
- Convenient auto-save feature (weight 0.01): Players appreciate the automatic save feature, which ensures progress is consistently recorded without manual intervention. This contributes to a seamless and worry-free gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended for Genre Fans (weight 0.23): Overall, player sentiment is highly positive, with many recommending the game, especially to fans of roguelikes, turn-based RPGs, strategy, and puzzle genres. Some reviewers specifically highlight its challenging nature and unique blend of elements as reasons for recommendation.
- Try Free Version First (weight 0.06): Many players suggest trying the free alpha or prototype version of the game first to determine if the core gameplay aligns with their preferences before purchasing the full retail version. This approach helps manage expectations and ensures satisfaction.
- Wait for a Sale (weight 0.02): Several players advise waiting for a sale, suggesting that the current full price might be too high. They recommend purchasing the game when it's discounted, ideally by at least 30%.
- Buy Base Game Before DLC (weight 0.02): Players recommend buying the base game first and only considering the DLC if they thoroughly enjoy the core experience. This suggests the DLC might not be essential for initial enjoyment or could be an additional investment.
- Beware of Difficulty Spikes (weight 0.01): A notable point of feedback is the game's difficulty, with some players specifically mentioning difficulty spikes. This suggests potential challenges for new players or those not accustomed to high difficulty.
- Early Game Retention Issues (weight 0.01): Some players noted that they might stop playing after the early game, suggesting a potential drop-off in engagement or content appeal in later stages. This could indicate issues with long-term retention.
- Play Explorer's Guild Puzzles (weight 0.01): A specific recommendation is to play the Explorer's Guild puzzles after completing the tutorial, suggesting these puzzles offer valuable content or a good progression path.
- Begin as Warrior (weight 0.01): A specific tip for beginners is to start playing as a warrior, suggesting this class might offer an easier entry point or a more straightforward experience for new players.

Other player notes:
- Game's Free Availability History (weight 0.12): Many players obtained the game for free, either through promotions or by playing its original free alpha/beta versions. This history of free availability significantly influenced player perception regarding its value as a paid product.
- Localization and Language Support (weight 0.09): The game offers official Chinese localization, which is well-received for its humor and relatability. However, other languages like Japanese rely on fan-made patches, and the mobile version currently lacks Chinese localization. Some puzzle hints may still require English proficiency.
- Developer and Awards Recognition (weight 0.04): The game was developed by QCF Design, a South African studio, and has received notable accolades, including IGF Awards for Game Design. It was originally released in 2013.
- Cloud Save and Portability (weight 0.04): The game supports cloud saving by linking a Steam account to an official website account, making it highly portable. However, the Steam store page's media can be misleading about the game type, and the community resources are somewhat limited.
- Good Value and Accessibility (weight 0.03): The game is considered reasonably priced and suitable for quick gaming sessions, even on low-spec PCs. Its simplistic graphics, though dated, do not detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Excellent Soundtrack (weight 0.03): The game features an excellent and well-regarded soundtrack, with music created by notable composers Grant Kirkhope and Danny Baranowsky.
- Genre Comparisons (weight 0.02): The game is often compared to other roguelike titles like The Binding of Isaac and Spelunky, and also draws comparisons to classic games like Microsoft Minesweeper and 'number murder' mobile RPG ads.
- Mobile Version Availability (weight 0.02): The game has been ported to mobile platforms (iOS and Android), expanding its accessibility to tablet users.
- Helpful Official Wiki (weight 0.02): Players find the official game Wiki very useful and comprehensive for information and guides, even if it requires translation for non-English speakers.
- Desire for Future Development (weight 0.02): Players express a desire for continued optimization and improvement from the developers, as well as the potential for community-made mods, especially with Unity programming.
- Mixed Aesthetic and Tone (weight 0.02): Feedback on the game's aesthetic and narrative elements is mixed, with some finding the official team 'mean' or the administrator 'annoying', and the art style occasionally depicting 'ugly' characters despite overall nice sprite design.
- 4:3 Aspect Ratio Display (weight 0.01): The game's actual screen resolution is 4:3, with thematic decorations filling the side spaces.
- Email Display on Title Screen (weight 0.01): Linking an account displays the user's email address on the title screen, which is a privacy concern for those taking screenshots.
- Post-Death Stat Summary (weight 0.01): Even upon character death, the game provides a summary of character stats at the end of the level.
- Randomized Dungeons (weight 0.01): The game features randomly generated dungeons, which contribute to its high replayability.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.32): Players feel satisfied due to the game's unique blend of roguelike and puzzle elements, offering deep strategic gameplay, high replayability, and rewarding progression. The game's challenging yet fair difficulty, combined with its suitability for short play sessions, contributes to a sense of accomplishment and long-term enjoyment. Its overall quality, content, and value for money also consistently meet or exceed player expectations.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Frustration primarily stems from the game's excessive reliance on RNG, which can lead to unavoidable failures and a feeling of unfairness. Players also experience frustration due to a steep learning curve, poor tutorials, unintuitive UI, and technical issues like the lack of cloud saves. The high difficulty, especially in later stages, and the demanding nature of calculations contribute to a sense of being stuck or punished.
- Excitement (weight 0.13): Excitement is driven by the game's addictive core gameplay loop, strategic depth, and high replayability. The unpredictable nature of dungeons and the constant discovery of new content keep players engaged and eager for more. The game's overall brilliant design and the prospect of competing with friends also contribute to a thrilling experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment arises when the game doesn't meet player expectations, particularly regarding its genre and progression. Issues like a lack of a 'getting stronger' feeling, excessive grind, and perceived low value for money contribute to this emotion. Players also express disappointment with the game's strict playstyle requirements, changes in graphics, and the absence of features like controller support or Russian localization.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the game's aesthetic qualities, including its classic art style, charming retro visuals, and pleasant soundtrack. The game's unique design, simple controls, and the thoughtful way content is presented in 'bite-sized pieces' are also highly valued. The game's ability to offer a good kind of difficulty that fosters a craving for challenge is also a source of appreciation.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Enjoyment is derived from the overall gameplay experience, including the addictive nature of quests and the short level lengths. Players find the game inherently interesting and enjoyable, particularly its replayability and unique philosophy regarding losing progress.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Admiration is directed towards the game's craftsmanship, brilliant design, and its status as a classic. Players praise the top-notch graphics, sound, and musical accompaniment, as well as the excellent combination of Roguelike, RPG, and strategy elements. The developers are also admired for their intelligence and ongoing support.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is experienced through the game's inherent fun and engaging puzzles. The game's humor often makes players smile and lifts their spirits, while its approachability for newcomers and enduring depth contribute to a lasting sense of happiness.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom sets in due to repetitive gameplay, particularly the need to repeat lower levels and the tedious grinding. Players also find the puzzles themselves to be uninteresting or lacking in refreshing gameplay, leading to a quick loss of engagement.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is caused by the game's perceived annoying and tedious difficulty, leading to regret over having paid for the game. Obnoxious in-game text and pop-ups also contribute to this negative feeling.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players express surprise when they find themselves enjoying the game despite initial reservations, such as disliking similar genres like chess. The overwhelming pace at which new content unlocks also contributes to a sense of pleasant surprise.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arises from frustrating gameplay elements such as randomly generated dead ends and random spell drops that make progression impossible, leading to a feeling of unfairness and being stuck.
- Neutrality (weight 0.01): Neutrality indicates that while the game may be objectively good, it does not align with the reviewer's personal taste. The grindy repetition is also a factor that can lead to a neutral, rather than negative, overall impression.
- Disinterest (weight 0): Disinterest is noted when a reviewer loses the desire to continue playing the game after a short period, indicating a lack of sustained engagement or appeal.
- Challenge (weight 0): The emotion of challenge is directly caused by the game's high difficulty, which players acknowledge as a core aspect of the experience.
- Preference (weight 0): Preference is expressed when players explicitly state a liking for this version of the game over a newer iteration, such as the 'Rewind' version.
- Hope (weight 0): Hope is specifically tied to the desire for community-made modifications, indicating a wish for future content or changes not provided by the developers.
- Fascination (weight 0): Fascination describes the game's ability to be a strangely intense and captivating puzzle experience, drawing players in with its unique qualities.
- Confidence (weight 0): Confidence is expressed regarding the quality of the retail version of the game, suggesting a belief in its polished and well-executed state.
- Confusion (weight 0): Confusion arises from the game's complexity, indicating that some players find its mechanics or systems difficult to understand.}